The Age of Napoleon

Ch.18 Sec.4 p. 592

I. Napoleon Bonaparte

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  1. Young general in the French army
  1. His great military skills won him quick promotions in the army
  1. Defeated the Austrians
  1. Napoleon’s bold move
  1. He left his troops in Egypt and went back to Paris
  1. Napoleon joined other leaders in a coup d etat against the Directory

II. The Consulate

  1. Consisted of 3 members (Consuls)
  1. Napoleon was the First Consul
  1. He concentrated power in his own hands

B.Restoring order

  1. Placed an emphasis on education
  1. Changed the country’s financial system
  1. Created the Bank of France
  1. EVERY citizen had to pay taxes

C.Napoleonic Code

  1. Made French law clear and consistent
  1. Religious toleration
  1. Equality of rights

III. Building an Empire

A.Military victories

  1. Napoleon defeats Italy
  1. Names himself the Emperor of France in 1804
B.Battle of Trafalgar
  1. Napoleon’s navy is soundly defeated by British admiral Lord Nelson off the southern coast of Spain
  1. Removed the possibility of a French invasion of Great Britain
C.Economic blockade
  1. Continental System
  1. Napoleon’s attempt to destroy the British economy
  1. He ordered all conquered European nations to stop trading with England
  1. He also required Russia and Prussia to go along with the blockade
  1. The Continental system eventually failed
  1. By 1812, Napoleon controlled most of Europe

IV. Downfall of the Empire

A.Russia
  1. Czar Alexander I viewed Napoleon as a threat
  1. Alexander had withdrawn from the Continental System
B.Invasion of Russia
  1. Napoleon assembles 600,000 troops and begins the march toward Moscow in May of 1812
  1. The Russians retreated and adopted a “scorched-earth” policy
  1. Russia’s harsh winter began to set in and Napoleon’s army had little shelter
  1. Napoleon waits too long before retreating, and subsequently loses most of his men

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1812 overture

C.Defeat
  1. Napoleon’s enemies come at him from all directions (Spain, England, Austria, Italy)
  1. By March 1814 Napoleon’s enemies were in Paris forcing him to surrender
  1. The victors restored the monarchy in France – Louis XVIII (Louis XVI’s brother)
  1. Napoleon was exiled to Elba
  1. Hundred Days
  1. One year later, Napoleon returns to France
  1. Napoleon regains control of his army
  1. His reign is short-lived
  1. Napoleon is soundly defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and is subsequently exiled on the island of Saint Helena. He dies there in 1821

battle of Waterloo

  1. Napoleon’s legacy
  1. He established constitutions in many countries
  1. Helped modernize many different governments

3. Abolished many absolute

monarchies

VI.Congress of Vienna

  1. Delegates from all over Europe came to Austria to restore the political balance in Europe
  1. Believed the Congress should be guided by 3 principles:
  1. Compensation
  1. Legitimacy
  1. Balance of power

C. No major wars in Europe until 1914